A man who stole large amounts of prescription drugs in a spree of pharmacy break-ins has been jailed.

David Pritchard broke into four different pharmacies and stole the drugs over the space of just under three weeks.

Pritchard, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to multiple burglary charges as well as breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Sussex Police detective constable Jenny Balmont said: “Through CCTV enquiries and witness statements, we were able to identify Pritchard and link him to each offence.

“We acted quickly to gather as much evidence as possible to present to the Crown Prosecution Service to authorise charges, ensuring the business community was protected from further offences.

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“I’d like to thank the members of the public who reported these incidents to us and would urge anyone who witnesses any suspicious activity to continue to contact police online or via 101 – or dial 999 in an emergency or if you witness a crime in action.”

Pritchard, 30, forced his way into three Kamsons Pharmacies in Tilgate Parade, Furnace Parade and Brighton Road as well as Geddes Pharmacy in Three Bridges Road, all in Crawley.

The break-ins took place between March 22 and April 11.

Pritchard was sentenced to a total of 23 months in prison for the offences.